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BACK TO : PROPAGANDA AND THE GWOT Year 3 - 2004 (mainly Iraq)
The 'Hearts and Minds' Game by Raymond Perry 
From Ocnus.net Defence & Arms The 'Hearts and Minds' Game By Raymond Perry, DefenseWatch 9/1/04 Jan 11, 2004, 11:14 Two recent articles describing changes in both Army and Marine Corps training for duty in Iraq gave me pause. It is necessary to learn how to effectively fight against guerillas while minimizing our own casualties, but that alone is not sufficient to win the war our forces face in the Sunni Triangle. 'Winning the hearts and minds' of the Iraqi populace is a deceivingly comfortable buzzword for our leaders. It gains credence only in minds inured to the ways of the Pentagon. In the Sunni Triangle, that phrase is likely hogwash. The people of that region will likely never be won over. If led correctly, our soldiers can show the hardened people of the Sunni Triangle that their own self-interest lies neither with the henchmen of their former leaders nor outfits like al Qaeda. Effectively fighting guerillas without handing them the fait accompli of collateral casualties, destroyed homes and bulldozed orchards is a valid military objective. There is a marked contrast between the two articles that appeared on the same day earlier this week. A report in USA Today described how the Army is changing its training, while The Wall Street Journal profiled how the Marine Corps is preparing its combat units for Iraqi duty. The USA Today article revealed, 'The Army is overhauling its basic training to help recruits survive the particular dangers of missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The changes add or beef up instruction on skills that include traveling in convoys and fighting in cities.' The changes in Army basic training include more weapons training, including practice on a wide array of weapons rather than the M-16 rifle; preparations on how to identify and counter remote-controlled bombs; convoy counter-ambush procedures; urban combat, and increased first-aid training, the newspaper reported. On the other hand, The Wall Street Journal disclosed that Marine training is being significantly altered to focus on preparing Marines to provide 'dignity, patience and understanding' to Iraqi citizens as well as being prepared for combat. The Marine training shift, the newspaper reported, 'amounts to a massive deprogramming campaign' for gung-ho Marines. These reports confirm that there is a vast difference in the approach of the respective services to achieving victory against the Iraqi insurgents. The Army is clearly focusing on effective fighting. Of course, this is necessary - but it is not enough. The logical endpoint of this approach remains an escalation of power. The description of the changes the Marines are making shows their intent to minimize force unless needed. This will have the benefit of reducing the temptation to use 'shock and awe' ordnance, and will minimize collateral casualties and damage. If not effectively countered, Iraqi guerilla attempts to cast us in the role of oppressor by attacks aimed at sparking collateral damage and civilian deaths when our forces respond, will ultimately cause many soldiers' deaths and lead to a failure to stabilize Iraq. It is clear from history since Vietnam that our enemies believe they can do just that. I believe there are two elements that must be put into place for us to achieve real victory. The first is that the generals must leave their boot tracks in the dirt of Iraq right beside that of their soldiers. Second, and far less assured, is that the fourth estate must be willing to do the same. In a recent article, ('Take the fight to the Insurgents,' DefenseWatch, Nov. 26, 2003), I discussed the futility of continually taking out buildings and orchards with 'shock and awe' ordnance. From the The Wall Street Journal article, it appears that the Marine Corps understands this. Whether that approach will work in the Sunni Triangle remains to be seen. The Marines' history in small wars and insurgencies indicates they understand the validity of not giving the guerillas the leverage of injury to innocent civilians or their source of livelihood. A recent article in The New York Times highlighted the role of U.S. Army snipers in taking out, with surgical precision, only those who are doing our soldiers harm. Emplacement of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that take out soldiers and Humvees takes guerillas, work and the cover of night. Snipers are the perfect tool to use in the same dark of night to take them out while they are doing their deadly work. The old saw 'nothing good happens at 2 a.m.' can be applied to the guerillas. A dead Iraqi guerilla near his unfinished emplacement of an IED will speak volumes to the people. Finally, the fourth estate should again embed members in the units making street patrols. The American people deserve to see the fine line walked daily by their sons and daughters. They should see our soldiers handle gut-wrenching interactions where innocent Iraqi children are used as human shields. I believe that the news media must also leave their boot tracks in the dirt. Only when the American people can look through the eyes of these journalists and see the small daily decisions soldiers make to stay alive while serving the nation, can they truly understand what the U.S. military has taken on. In the end, this is not about 'winning the hearts and minds' of the Iraqi people so much as it is about enabling them to understand their own self-interests. Democracy works that way. The Marines may have something solid in their approach, but even there don't expect the fruits to come quickly a few days after they take over patrolling the Sunni Triangle. This effort is going to take years. © Source: 2004 by Ocnus.net |